Rumor: Upgraded PS4 To Be Announced Before PS VR Release

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that its sources not only confirm that Sony is working on a more powerful PS4, but that it will be announced before the PS VR is released in October.

Citing "people familiar with the matter," the paper says that the upgraded system will be needed to make the most out of virtual reality, but one source said it is likely both the current PS4 and the higher-end model would share the same software catalog. Also, production of the current PS4 would continue.

While WSJ's sources indicated that Sony wants to target consumers willing to pay for a high-end experience, the report did not mentioning pricing or any other specifics. Earlier in the month, Kotaku originally reported a rumor on the PlayStation 4.5, as it has been colloquially called.

Our TakeThe pre-October timing certainly isn't surprising given that the PS 4.5 will amplify the PS VR, but given how long the company has been talking about its virtual reality venture, it feels like Sony is not giving consumers enough time to save up for both PS VR and this supposed upcoming system.

It'll be interesting to see how this goes with all the hate nintendo is receiving for the new 3ds. From what I've read you don't need the ps4.5 for vr but it runs best with it now. So will it be the equivalent of hyrule warriors on the 3ds vs new 3ds? I guess that's why the Sony vr is priced so well though. They are expecting people to upgrade and spend extra money.

Folks. There is no way a console in the foreseeable future will run any game at a 4K resolution. You simply don't know anything about PC hardware and how much money you would have to invest for such a powerful graphics card. To render a game that high with quality performance is A LOT of money. The graphics card, alone, would cost more than the standard PS4 price tag... At that point you are just paying the price of a PC.
Whatever Sony is doing, I doubt the system is going to be that much more powerful than the current PS4. Given the fact the systems will still share the same software catalog, this will likely just have some added bells and whistles like PC ports already receive. Sony is just spinning their marketing machine as always making a big fuss out of something that largely isn't that big of a deal.
The whole point of a console is to be convenient and affordable. I can't see them having a console over $600, and that's nowhere enough for the hardware necessary for 4K gaming. Not enough people would buy into this.

4K is becoming the new media standard. It's going to take a few more years but it took a while for 720/1080 HD to catch on too. Of course the cost of sets and equipment is prohibitive at first but they've already dropped considerably in the last few years. The PS3 being a "cheap" blu-ray player is part of what helped blu-ray catch on. This could be the same deal here for 4K. The PS4.5 being a more powerful setup that can be both a cheaper priced 4K media player and smoother running consistent full 1080P/60 fps or slightly higher gaming system. 4K gaming is highly unlikely as yes the video cards alone cost a grand, regardless of what PC gaming fanboys will try to argue about how cheap they built their uber rig. Consoles will never be the "cutting edge" because its just too cost prohibitive for the manufacturer and the consumer. Cutting edge is also not the point of console gaming. Console gaming is supposed to provide a consistent playable experience without any of the hassles associated with PC gaming. Regardless I wouldn't expect to see a 4K gaming console for another 4-5 years when the next gen systems release and the hardware prices have majorly dropped.

If this thing is simply capable of running games better than the current model, then I would still be interested in buying it. If it only improves performance for VR and its related products, I'm content to hold onto my old PS4.

Didn't we see somewhere that an external "co-processor" was going to needed for the VR experience. If so, my gut says PS4.5 will have that built in, while the rest of us will have to buy that external unit

For those not on the pulse of the industry and just hear bits and pieces, I wonder if this will put them off from potentially buying a PS4 because a new one may or may not be coming out in a few months. I have been potentially looking into buying one but I am not going to do anything until they announce something about the new system. At this point, I think Sony is hurting themselves by not coming out and saying anything.

It's probably going to be bundled with the Morpheus, and run VR games ever so slightly better. If they pulled a New 3DS type dealio they'd never recover, so I doubt it will be very much of an upgrade.
It's most likely that it's just going to be a slim model that fixes some of the hardware issues people have been having; just like the the 360 slim fixed the disc drive and the red ring of death.

God I hope this is true. With all of these rumors from different sources I believe it is true. The best news is that this won't splinter the fan base as all games will work on the older PS4 as well as a higher FPS, better texture and higher resolution version on the PS4K. I would pay a $1000 for an upgraded PS4 that will give us True 4K and 60FPS. I would pay $800 for a 4K UHD 2160p and 60FPS PS4. The most important part is the FPS. We need a solid 60FPS in ALL GAMES. No doubt this PS4K will also include the VR box technology. My guess is that there will be an even cheaper PSVR offered as well without the external processing unit. So if you can give me UHD with 60FPS then Sony will sell another 40 million consoles in 2 years. As long as new games like Horizon Zero Dawn work on both PS4's I am on board for this switch in console strategy. I am so glad that Sony is thinking outside the box. There is no reason every console generation has to be the same. There is no reason we need a new OS either. Gaming As A Service so to speak. Just give us updated hardware with the same PS4 OS and features is all we need. Add the nagging missing features everyone is asking for to ram it home. Wow, once again, E3 is this huge juggernaut that I cannot wait to get trampled by!!!

If Sony is smart, they address these rumors sooner than later, or they run the risk of possibly souring a good portion of their existing install base with unconfirmed details about each system's performance and ecosystem fragmentation. Either way they proceed, they will also see diminished sales in the coming months as well, as people become more hesitant to buy current gen systems if there's a potential upgrade on the horizon.
All in all, it's a decision that could backfire on them, particularly if the experience between the older and newer system is pronounced. Combine that fact with the prospect of giving Microsoft a reason to upgrade as well, and cover the previous performance gap between the current PS4 and Xbox One (which had a positive effect for Sony growing their lead in console sales), and you can see that the risk could outweigh the rewards (not to mention possibly pushing more gamers towards PC as a platform, if we're entering a new era of consoles with upgrades every few years).
Tread carefully, Sony.